|| śrīmadvālmīkirāmāyaṇam ||
sā hṛtā rākṣasendreṇa rāvaṇena durātmanā
māyām āsthāya vipulāṃ vātadurdinasaṅkulām || 3.68.9 ||
pariklāntasya me tāta pakṣau chittvā niśācaraḥ
sītām ādāya vaidehīṃ prayāto dakṣiṇā mukhaḥ || 3.68.10 ||
uparudhyanti me prāṇā dṛṣṭir bhramati rāghava
paśyāmi vṛkṣān sauvarṇan uśīrakṛtamūrdhajān || 3.68.11 ||
yena yāti muhūrtena sītām ādāya rāvaṇaḥ
vipranaṣṭaṃ dhanaṃ kṣipraṃ tat svāmi pratipadyate ||3.68.12||
vindo nāma muhūrto asau sa ca kākutstha na abudhat
tvat priyām jānakīṃ hṛtvā rāvaṇo rākṣaseśvara
jhaṣavat baḍiṣāṃ gṛhya kṣipraṃ eva vinaśyati ||3.68.13 ||
na ca tvayā vyathā kāryā janakasya sutāṃ prati
vaidehyā ramsase kṣipraṃ hatvā taṃ raṇamurdhani ||3.68.14 ||
Re-ordered word by word meaning
Jatayu spoke thus to Rama:
āsthāya māyām vipulāṃ vātadurdinasaṅkulām - She was abducted by the king of demons, Ravana, the evil-souled one, by resorting to magic and creating the illusion of heavy, dark, stormy, and cloudy skies (thereby disrupting the powers of the eagle king Jatayu).
tāta niśācaraḥ chittvā me pakṣau pariklāntasya
sītām ādāya vaidehīṃ prayāto dakṣiṇā mukhaḥ - Oh Rama, that demon, after cutting off my wings as I was exhausted, taking Sita, flew towards the southern direction.
rāghava me prāṇāḥ uparudhyanti dṛṣṭir bhramati
paśyāmi sauvarṇan uśīrakṛtamūrdhajānvṛkṣān - Oh Raghava, my airs (=breath) are stifled and dying, my eyes are disoriented, I see (hallucinations of) trees which are golden and topped with Usheera fragrant grass !
yena muhūrtena rāvaṇaḥ yāti ādāya sītām - by virtue of the time=muhurta when Ravana went, taking Sita,
vipranaṣṭaṃ dhanaṃ kṣipraṃ tat svāmi pratipadyate - (it is so destined that) any good man who has utterly and totally suffered a loss of fortunem even he, will quickly regain it!
kākutstha muhūrto vindaḥ nāma ca sa na abudhat asau - Oh Scion of the Kakutstha dynasty, this muhurta is called Vinda, and he, Ravana, did not comprehend it.
hṛtvā tvat priyām jānakīṃ rāvaṇaḥ rākṣaseśvaraḥ - Having abducted your wife/consort Janaki, Ravana, that king of demons,
eva jhaṣavat gṛhya baḍiṣāṃ kṣipraṃ vinaśyati - like a fish that has swallowed the bait, shall soon perish.
ca tvayā na vyathā kāryā janakasya sutāṃ prati - Therefore there need be by you no lamentation or sorrow towards Janaka's daughter.
kṣipraṃ hatvā taṃ raṇamurdhani - soon, after killing him in a prime battle,
vaidehyā ramsase - you shall be united in joy with your beloved, Vaidehi.
Jatayu is the epitome of righteousness and civic duty. He dies giving hope and solace to Rama, and assuring him that he will be soon reunited with Sita.
And the poet shows how Jatayu was more enlightened than Ravana, also a scholar in many ways.
The story of Ramayana is replete with epic moments, and even more so, epic characters. How blessed are we!
